Monday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for dinner on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a three game series with the Cincinnati Reds who were making their only appearance in the New York area.
When I got to Citi Field, I was greeted by my pal, Sam Citron who was happy to see me by the Rotunda entrance. After we exchanged pleasantries, I went inside and up to section 515 where the rest of the royal court was sitting on this night. Among those we were there included Phil Butleman, David Sack and his friend Ben, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan, Al Linderman, Frank Anichiarico, Pat Gorman, Martin Caamano and Michael Abrams.
As for the game we saw, the Reds jumped on Shaun Marcum who started for the Mets. He gave up a lead off walk to start the game to center fielder Shin-Soo Choo. After he recorded the first out, he proceeded to give up three straight hits which scored three runs. He then struck out the next two batters. The Mets came back in the bottom of the third inning and they tied the game at three as right fielder Marlon Byrd hit a three run homer off of Reds' starter Johnny Cueto to give the Met fans some hope. The Reds' broke the tie as right fielder Jay Bruce hit a solo homer to start the top of the sixth inning to make it 4-3. The Mets were unable to answer again as they dropped the first game of the series.
Tuesday night after work I went to Checkers for my pre game meal as I returned to Citi Field for game two of the series.
This time the royal court sat in its usual spot in section 516. We were joined by Manny Morales, Phil Butleman, Al Linderman, Pat Gorman & Martin Caamano. We also had in house entertainment in section 513 as the Hooligan's were present & accounted for. They have great chants for different Met players as they come to bat. In addition, they love to join in with the King when a Met pitcher strikes out an opposing team's batter. In that regard, the King's signature strikeout call has become a staple among the fans who sit around us.
As for the game we saw, the Mets once again dug a hole for themselves early. This time starter Jonathon Niese got the first two outs then he lost his control. Three walks, a few hits and a costly error by David Wright opened the door for the Reds as they scored three runs in their first at bat for the second game in a row. Unfortunately the Mets couldn't touch Mike Leake who threw seven shutout innings. The Reds added another run in the ninth inning as catcher Devin Mesoraco hit a solo homer to lead off to give the Reds a 4-0 lead. The Mets failed to score against the Reds' bullpen as they fell again.
Wednesday during the day I was working so I couldn't attend the finale of the series which was an afternoon affair. The Mets wound up losing again. After work, I went home and I made myself dinner then I went out and I did my laundry.
Thursday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner and I relaxed & watched TV. It was nice to live like a normal human being for a night.
Friday night after work I went home since I got out of work early. I was able to pick up some warm clothes so I could be ready for the cool dreary night ahead.
Since I had a big lunch I decided to skip a pre game meal. I went right to Citi Field to see the Mets open the Memorial weekend with a three game series with their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves. Thanks to mother nature, the start of the game was delayed slightly. The first pitch was thrown by Mets starter Jeremy Hefner at 7:26PM.
As a result, I wound up wandering around the ballpark before the game began. When I got up to the Royal Court in section 516, I was joined by David Sack who was with his friend Andrew, Frank Anichiarico, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan, Pat Gorman, Michael Abrams and Alan Gimpel who all decided to brave the elements.
As for the game we saw, the Mets trailed right off the bat again as first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a two run homer in the first inning to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. The Mets slice the lead in half as left fielder Lucas Duda hit a pop up to left that fell in for a run scoring single thanks to the brutal wind that was blowing. The Mets evened the score at two in the fourth inning when catcher John Buck lead off with a solo home run. The Mets took the lead in the fifth inning when right fielder Marlon Byrd singled in a run. The Braves responded with a lead off solo homer by Dan Uggla in the seventh inning. The Braves regained the lead with a few runs in the top of the eighth inning as pinch hitter Evan Gattis delivered a clutch two out hit as the rain started falling again. In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Mets tied the game again with a single by Daniel Murphy and a wild pitch while Rick Ankiel was batting. Ankiel wound up striking out and the umpires decided to put the tarp on the field with the game tied at five. The game didn't resume after they waited 75 minutes. As a result, the game was suspended. They were going to resume the game Saturday night before the regularly scheduled game at 7:15PM.
As for the King, Bryan Gilligan, Frank Anichiarico and I, we wisely left once they put the tarp on the field. We went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal. It turned out to be a great decision. We wound up meeting the King's brother Charlie there. It was great to see him again. We all enjoyed our meals, drinks and each other's company.
Stay tuned for a special post that will recap our Memorial Day weekend which was filled with personal milestones for the King & I as well as for another ballpark chaser we've met along the way.
Thank you for reading and following along.
Yours truly,
Gary Herman
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